A birthday gift.....

Hi All!

I recently found myself in a position where I either had to pull my socks up pretty quick and 

finish a rather large project for a birthday present or create a new and much smaller project. Over a much needed cup of Earl Grey Tea, I decided to make my friend a mini quilt to use both as a trivet under her teapot when she uses it or hung as a wall hanging when not in use.

I adored the Sew Kitchy pattern range the moment that Kristy released it and make sure that I grab them whilst they are in their "Free" month. You can check out more over on Kristy's blog Quiet Play.

It truly was a dream pattern to put together - even for this very Paper Pieced Challenged person! LOL I stuck to a very retro colouring that I knew would suit my friend's Kitchen area. 

Actually I am kind of sad that I have given this away - as I am very pleased with myself for how it turned out. Although my friends just adores it and used it straight away!

Linking up with this week's Paper Piecing party over on Kristy's blog here!

Reproducing like.... RABBITS!

Anyone else out in blog land been hit with the bleek coldness that Mother Nature seems to have thrown at Australia????  We were caught off guard and have not a single piece of firewood ready for the winter season - so the youngest and I are snuggled up in bed, watching movies and snuggling under the doona.

Now that Easter is well and truly over I can share with you these little cuties that I made my kidlets as part of their massive Easter haul!

I snatched up this pattern - The Carrot Club from The Red Boot Quilt Company when it was on sale for their Four Dollar Friday deal. I must admit that I am becoming somewhat of a PDF pattern collector since I discovered their Four Dollar Friday and have a growing collection of both softie and quilt patterns from this company.

I had so much fun making these and wouldn't hesitate to make them again as the pattern instructions were very easy to follow and not to forget the full size pattern pieces.  The only thing that I would change would be the sizing - next time I think I will increase the size and make a much bigger and snugglier bunny!

As for the verdict from the kidlets - they just adore them.

It's an honour.......

OK - so I am sitting here with the left side of my face on my left shoulder from a massive jaw infection thanks to a hole in one of my teeth! (Yes lesson learnt the hard way - always go to the dentist before it gets this bad).

Anyway, last month I was contacted by the lovely Deb from a Quilters Table who was asking for my permission to feature one of my blocks as part of a 22 Favourite Quilt Blocks post that she was organising on the Sew Mama Sew blog.

Talk about being totally humbled, as she had chosen my Road to Fortune Block that I picked as part of a Queen Bee group that I was involved with last year.

Here is the block again in case you can't remember how it looked.... or check out the original post here!

I am sad to say that this is how the quilt is currently going! Just four blocks on my design wall begging to be added to and then mad into a gorgeous bright scrappy quilt!

See what I hadn't counted on was that all printers automatically print the pattern pieces to whatever setting they are set to - so this resulted in all my blocks with the exception of 4 being different sizes. No problems though as I am planning on using the odd sized ones on the back as a bit of a feature.  I think if I was to run this block again as a Bee block, I would print all the paperwork and then send the templates off to each person. That way I can guarantee that the sizing will all be the same.

Before I go any further I really need to thank the delightful Cathy from The Blueberry Patch who was the inspiration behind this quilt. Check out her post here that set the wheels in motion for my Road to Fortune quilt. And we wont even start to talk about the number of quilts that have been added to my one day I want to make list all because I have seen it on Cathy's blog!

See, told you these blocks are clinging on my Design Wall! Hmmm, I really think I need to do a tidy up of my sewing space before I start sewing again! LOL

Anyway, just thought you would all like to share in my exciting news as I am still waiting for my feet to touch the ground! I mean really - me! Little Ol me with almost no Patchwork experience!

And as for my Paper piecing mentors - Kristy, Jane and Marieka - are you all the slightest bit proud!!!!!!!!

Look what I found.....

I know I am on a self imposed fabric ban and I probably should have held this post off until a Sunday Stash, but I am just sew sew excited by this find that I had to share it with you all NOW!!!!!

We have a dreaded viral infection going through our house at the moment - so imagine my delima when on Wednesday I had both kids home from school sick and then our power went out for scheduled maintenance! Bugger Bum Poop!

You see - because we live on a farm - without power, we can't flush the toilet or even get a glass of water without electricity to run the house pump. And to to it all off, because our tank is underground - we can't even manually get any water!

So here I was stuck at home in the dark with two sick kids! EEK!!!!! Normally I would have taken them to the park to play or down to the beach - but neither of them had any extra energy to run around and play. So... we decided to go Op Shop Hopping!

The kids between them got some books to read and the Monopoly Board game - the Australian Edition. But the biggest and bestest find of the day was mine..... ALL MINE!

Check out this total yumminess of Walk in the Woods by Aneela Hoey. The charm pack was $8.00, $1.50 for the red FQ and only $5.00 for the yard of blue birds on mushrooms! OMG - this range has been on my drool list for ages now.

Does anybody have any suggestions on how I should use my precious Walk in the Woods goodies???? Feel free to leave me a comment or even a link in the comment section below!

But wait.... there was still even more yumminess to be found!

I also picked up 2 charm packs of Blush for yep $8.00 each, a Melly & Me Ladybird pattern for $1.00 and then this sweet 2.5" charm pack of Avalon.

Despite my spending whilst on my ban, I was very well contained and managed to leave lots of other yummy goodness behind.

Now I should be saying I had hurry up and go and hide all of this before the Hubby gets home - but truth be told - I was sew sew excited that I showed him before he had even gotten fully in the front door when he popped home for some more fencing gear. LOL.

Hmm.... Patchwork in Scouting!

Is there something wrong with this picture??????

Or does everyone use their quilting rulers to find the dead center of their Scout Shirt sleeves so they can position their badges ready for sewing?????

Poor hubby thinks that now I am a Joey Scout Leader that I may actually want to camp and do lots of out doorsy type off stuff! 

Boy is he wrong!!!!

I am already planning my camp blanket with some Riley Blake Camp A Lot charm squares and a bag to hold all  attendance book etc featuring the gorgeous Australian Animal Paper Piecing patterns that Kristy from Quiet Play has designed.  Oh and I can't  forget my mess kit with matching tea towel, cutlery bag and coffee snuggly that I am planning on making as soon as I have finished sewing the badges on my shirt!

ALYOF - February Roundup

I am really disappointed with my results from February! Mind you I shouldn't be considering I spent most of the month in bed with a migraine and then a lovely head cold that the kidlets and hubby decided to share with me.

Mind you I did get a couple of projects finished - so I shouldn't be too hard on myself.

I managed to complete the mushroom rattle to go with some other bits and pieces to send to a new niece on Hubby's side. I love making these cute mushrooms - they are a Dolls and Daydream pattern and take next to no time to whip up.  I did change red fabrics - as I thought this check was a lot nicer then the other piece that I had originally picked out.

I also managed to make Miss Moo's headband for school. This was a project that I had been wanting to do for years and was only motivated by her last short bob hair cut which keep falling into her eyes and bugging me to pieces. 

# Please excuse the really bad photos - they were taken before 7am this morning and before anybody was really truly awake #

I also finally finished the bag I made for my swap partner in the Valentines Day Swap. I was very late in sending mine (I apologise Lianne) as I wasn't well enough to sit at the machine to finish it. 

So I suppose 3 out of 6 tasks weren't too bad considering my health in February. Just means that I won't have too think to hard on what to set as my tasks for March - LOL.

Now I would have linked up the A Lovely Year of Finishes Linky - but it closed on the last day of the month and I totally forgot to write this post. Whoops - still not quite back to my usual self.

February - ALYOF

WOW - I can't believe that February is upon us already!

I managed to go all January without any fabric purchases - but had to do a bit of fabric shopping on 1st Feb to finish my 2 swap items so I could get them in the mail. 

As for what projects I am planning on doing for Feb - I am eager to set myself a quilting project but on the other hand, I have a birthday present, a new birth present and a few other little things that I have been putting off that I would like to see gone from my cutting table to make way for more fun items. Feb is also a short month and I have hubby working one weekend and away for Scout training another - so less sewing time for me.

Anyway, I am proposing that for the month of Feb I shall complete........

# Sleep shorts & PJ bottoms for my brother for his birthday.

# A mushroom rattle as part of a new niece birth present.

# Hairband for Moo in her School fabric

# My terracotta pin pot

and

# At least 1 block from Will's ABC quilt or Mum's Everyday Angel quilt.

Hopefully I can achieve all of this. The mushroom, hairband and pin pot are really quick simple items that I had been planning on making for a while now - but keep putting off even though I know they really are only 1/2 hour to an hour job. So the only real work will be in the birthday present for my brother and the quilt block.

Linking up to Fiber of All Sorts!